Getting to know the family in .NET

Painting Code128 in .NET Getting to know the family

Everyone in the family including dogs and cats may be very interested in seeing what the new feathered family member is all about when you first bring your bird home Interest is good, but don t let everyone mob the cage at once, poke fingers through the bars, or jump wildly around the way kids often do in front of the cage Remember, your bird probably is extremely nervous and fearful about this new transition Let family members approach the cage one at a time, slowly, with eyes averted Have them talk in a soft, gentle voices and keep hands out of the birdcage Everyone in the family needs to feel welcome to visit the bird as often as they like during the day This kind of interaction is good for your bird and helps him adjust and get to know everyone in the house Just remember to take it slow and try not to startle your bird As your bird becomes more comfortable, you can begin the process of training and hand-taming him, if he isn t already tame For more on how to hand-tame your bird, see 19

Most children younger than the age of 6 never should handle a bird Older children can learn to handle a bird responsibly, if they re capable of staying calm and not hurting the bird even if the bird happens to give them a nip Small birds like cockatiels and parakeets are particularly good for small children because their bites aren t damaging, but children always need to be supervised whenever they handle a bird, because these small birds are so easily injured or lost if they are outside of the cage and wandering around A child can become distracted and stop paying attention, and the bird can be lost or injured

Some children successfully handle very tame larger birds with direct adult supervision, but be aware of the risks and keep your child and your bird safe Never put any of your dependents in a situation that can harm them! Birds are wild creatures, and they can be unpredictable So can children Children can get a great deal of enjoyment from a bird, even if they never are allowed to hold it

If you have other birds, you first and foremost want to be sure your new bird is in good health and not carrying any contagious diseases that can affect your resident birds If you have dogs or cats, you have to be extra careful to keep your yummy bird safe Some birds particularly larger parrots get along just fine with gentle dogs and those few cats that have somehow lost their natural instinct to hunt birds However, even when you think you know how your pets will interact, mistakes happen Many birds have been killed by other family pets Your bird needs to be housed well out of reach of other pets Pets must not be able to climb up and stare at the bird, bark at the bird, or swipe a paw through the bars of the cage Don t put your bird through Tweety s daily trauma with Sylvester Your bird has enough stress adjusting to yet another home Keep your bird well protected, and you ll be doing all your resident pets a big favor

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Finding a good bird vet and scheduling regular well-bird checkups Exploring two important and easy ways to keep your bird healthy Recognizing symptoms of common health issues adopted birds can experience Improving your bird s health and behavior through proper feeding and grooming

roviding good diets and healthcare for pet birds is crucial, because malnutrition and other health problems can be at the root of behaviors that cause people to relinquish their birds to shelters and rescue groups The bulk of health problems that pet birds tend to develop come from just two highly preventable conditions: poor diet and poor dirty, cramped living conditions You can change those conditions for your new bird with a little knowledge That s why this chapter helps you sort through what you need to know about bird diets and healthcare how to keep your bird healthy, how to find an avian veterinarian to support your bird s health, how to feed your bird in the best way possible to prevent diseases and nutritional deficiencies, and how to keep your bird well groomed and clean